Somewhere Over The Rainbow The perfect time for a kayak trip

Here on the Rainbow River, it’s a cool crisp winter day and about as peaceful as it can get. Compared to summer, when tubers and kayakers fill the river like a freeway most weekends, winter offers paddlers an exquisite experience combining relaxation and nature.

Just two hours north of Clearwater in the sleepy town of Dunnellon, the Rainbow River has long been a favorite of Central Florida paddlers. Its crystal clear, spring fed waters flow for 5.7 miles and are ideal for kayaking. The source of the river, Rainbow Springs, is located at the headwater in Rainbow Springs State Park. This first magnitude spring has an outflow of about 400-600 million gallons of cool 72 degree water daily year-round.

Continue reading

Oldsmar’s Historic Bank Building Now Open

After more than a year of hard work that included recycling virtually everything that was taken out of Oldsmar’s historic 1918 Bank Building, so the city’s first LEED-certified structure is open for business. LEED is part of the United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) program to ensure that the sustainable building industry has a system to define and measure “green buildings.” The structure is a part of Oldsmar’s ongoing cohesive effort from all departments to attain the Green City designation.

Continue reading

Taking the LEED: Only the Exclusive Sandpearl Claims Silver Status Among Florida Resorts

One typically does not come to Clearwater Beach to see green. It’s the blue we are here for- the turquoise blue of the Gulf of Mexico and the robin’s egg blue of the sky. The exception to that rule, however, is a Destination that can be found at the Sandpearl Resort on Clearwater Beach where some guests come precisely for the green.

With 203 guest rooms, 50 suites and 25,000 square feet of event space directly on north Clearwater Beach, the elegant Sandpearl is actually one of the greenest lodgings in the state, without being a casino or a golf resort. It’s the only resort in Florida with a Silver LEED certification, and one of only 13 resorts in the nation to be LEED certified.

Continue reading